DeadJournalist.com Exclusive Interviews
What Made Milwaukee Famous

EXCLUSIVE Interview: What Made Milwaukee Famous
Chuck Norton, DeadJournalist.com
02.06.07

Another thank you to XM (with an assist to KEXP) for introducing me to What Made Milwaukee Famous late last year. The band's debut album, Trying To Never Catch Up, continues to impress after multiple listens - showing itself as one of the hidden gems of 2006.

The band, consisting of Michael Kingcaid (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Drew Patrizi (keyboards, vocals, guitar), John Farmer (bass, vocals) and Jeremy Bruch (drums, vocals), will launch their next tour in Athens, Ga. at the 40 Watt on February 23 and follow that with a show at the Earl in Atlanta on February 24.

More information on this high quality band out of Austin can be found on the band's Web site at www.whatmademilwaukeefamous.com or their MySpace.com page at www.myspace.com/whatmademilwaukeefamous

DeadJournalist.com brings you this exclusive interview with Michael Kingcaid of What Made Milwaukee Famous.

Was the band's name taken from the Jerry Lee Lewis/Johnny Bush song by the same name?

MK: Yes, it was taken from the song that Glenn Sutton wrote. I still haven't heard any other versions except for Jerry Lee's. Turns out just about everybody from Rod Stewart to Flogging Molly has taken a swing at it.

We encourage any and all bands that may be looking for a cover to do to take a crack at it, as well. It'll only help our Google stats.

Now that Trying to Never Catch Up has been out for almost six months, has the fan response met your pre-release expectations?

MK: Well, it's hard to say. I think that the album is doing alright, but there are still a ton of people out there who have never heard of us. Plus, there are still about four or five thousand people out there that own the self-released version and might not have bought the Barsuk release.

We're very pleased with how well the album has done overall. But we're always hoping that sales will continue to get better. It is definitely nice to see people in other cities dancing around and singing to songs that are on the album, though. That's always really gratifying. And it's definitely a result of the album finally being available nationwide.

The band will be hitting the road later this month - are you excited to get back on the road with your upcoming tour?

MK: You know, it's actually really weird. Being on tour is a love/hate/love thing. After you're out for an extended period of time, the only thing that you can think about is getting home.

You grow so tired of being in a van for eight hours every day and you just want to get home and sleep in your own bed. Bills are piling up back home and it can get kind of overwhelming because you can't do anything about it. Then, you get home and go back to work and get re-involved with the daily grind and realize that you can't wait to get out and play more shows.

It's what we've decided to do with our lives and it's the aspect of our “occupation” that gives us an instant reward for all of the work that we've put into it. We've been out on the road a lot for the last six months and things haven't been easy.

But strangely enough, yes - I am really looking forward to getting back out on the road again this month.

Are you looking forward to performing again at this year's SXSW?

MK: Yeah, we always love playing SXSW. One of these days, though, we're going to have to take a year off and just check all of the shows out. The only thing that sucks for us about SXSW is that we've usually got so much going on that we don't get a chance to go check out the shows that we want to see. But, yeah, we've got some really great stuff going on this year during SXSW and we're all really excited about it.

What can an audience expect from a WMWF live performance?

MK: Some people say that's the best part of the experience. I, myself, wouldn't really be objective enough to say. I think that in order to truly pass judgment on whether or not you like us as a band, though, you have to see us live first. Both the live show and the album have elements that have won us some fans. But I'd imagine that the live show probably pulls a little more of the weight.

The most bizarre thing that happened on your last tour was... ?

MK: We got hooked up with free clothes and shoes. It's totally foreign to us now, but hopefully somewhere down the line it will become common place because we can toooootally get used to it. I remember smiling quite a bit that day.

The band had the unique experience of performing on Austin City Limits in 2005 before being signed. How did that opportunity come about?

MK: We were actually just heading out on tour when we found out that there was a possibility for us to play on the show. The Arcade Fire had cancelled their performance and they needed somebody to fill in. It turns out that we had a string of good luck and also got to fill in for a cancellation at the ACL festival and got the honor of opening up for Arcade Fire & the Black Keys when we got back in town. And all of that happened the same weekend that we got back from tour; easily one of the best weekends of our lives.

What artists have influenced you the most throughout your career?

MK: Nice. I love this question. Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Elliott Smith, Chris Whitley, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Nirvana, Grant Lee Buffalo, the Grifters, Spoon, Richard Buckner, Zeppelin, Ryan Adams, Soundgarden, Wilco, the Beatles, Bowie, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, Queen, the Sundays and Stevie Wonder.

I think that those are the top ones. I've got tons more, but those have been the most influential.

Is the band working on material for a new album? If so, when do you expect it to be released?

MK: We are currently working through some new songs. We've got a ton of stuff to weed through that may or may not turn out to be something. But we're really anxious to record some new stuff. Right now, we're just doing demos of songs. But hopefully, we'll be recording by this summer or fall in hopes for a winter or spring release for a new full-length album.

What were you listening to in 1997?

MK: In '97, I had just moved to Nashville. I was still stuck on Brendan Benson's One Mississippi and Spoon's Telephono. Also, the Bends, OK Computer, and Jeff Buckley's Grace were all major staples. I was also listening to the Grifters a lot; Crappin' You Negative, Full Blown Possession, and Ain't My Lookout (in that order).

I think that one of the big renaissance periods in my life, in terms of music, actually happened in '98, though. Some of my favorite albums came out that year and my eyes were opened to a lot of different sonic landscapes that I hadn't explored yet. Richard Buckner's Since came out in '98, which in turn turned me onto Devotion + Doubt.

Those two albums really changed my life.